Now if Thomas Gruber’s Electronics Engineering Toolkit Pro for iPad app was released years ago, it would have probably made life easy in my Living Skills class at school. Anyways, this app, aimed at hobbyist, students and engineers features a massive collection of useful calculators, simulators, circuit and application examples, covering a wide gamut of areas in electronics engineering.

The app features 65 electronic applications, huge reference pages covering connectors, components (including 7400 series, PIC family, etc) with the option of opening PDF datasheets, fast-on-the-fly conversions and calculations, real-time circuit simulations and many more. I took delivery of several cool stuff such as an Arduino UNO board and a Raspberry Pi in recent months, so this app will come in handy as well. Speaking of deliveries and stuff, check out the following Anyvan.com if you are out on the market for courier and delivery services.

The Electronics Engineering Toolkit Pro for iPad app is available on the iTunes App Store for USD 3.99. Check it out over here: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/scientific-electronics-circuit/id393145367?mt=8&ls=1

Hehe…. one of our favourite comic book characters, Deadpool, is having some company in his upcoming video game for the Xbox 360, Playstation 3 and PC, aptly titled Deadpool. You see, the neurotic, or should I say, totally unhinged anti-hero, had a problem with sharing space with other superheroes/villains, but we have his therapist to thank as Mr. Sinister and uber hot fan-favourite Psylocke are making their way to the game as well. Check out what the man has to say about this:

A note from our friend Deadpool:

Sooo, uhhhh, APPARENTLY there are characters in my new upcoming Activision game, DEADPOOL, who are not Deadpool! Right??

I thought it was pretty clear when I said I wanted a true Deadpool game that it would star Deadpool…in every role! My star power shouldn’t be limited to the central protagonist. I should be playing the hero, the anti-hero, the villain who eventually changes sides to join forces against the TRUE villain (me), the romantic interest, the quirky best friend, the comic relief, and at least 8 other characters in fat suits! Is that too much to ask?!

But…I’ve been talking to my therapist…and she says it’s important that I not allow the existence of other people who are not me to determine my own self-worth. I just have to be the best unhinged mutant mercenary I can be. So, here’s a look at some of the…other…characters you can meet in DEADPOOL…

With the upcoming release of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows this summer for the PC (via steam), Xbox Live Arcade and Sony Playstation Network, Activision Publishing, Inc. and Red Fly Studio are shining a light on each of the varied personas that make up this formidable team of half-shell heroes. Today the spotlight is on my favourite member of the turtles, Michelangelo.

Always ready with a punch and a punchline, the orange-draped Michelangelo puts a literal spin on the phrase “party animal.” He’s a fun-loving foodie with an appetite for goofing off instead of training. But despite his lighthearted tone and distaste for confrontation, Mikey is no less committed to the cause than his older brothers, whom he looks up to as role models.

True to his energetic and light personality, the nunchaku-wielding Michelangelo possesses by far the highest attack speed of any of his Turtle brethren, but also the lowest single target damage rating, standing in stark contrast to the more balanced stats of Leonardo. Mikey relies on his ability to evade damage and quickly build up combos and special moves to take down foes before they can return the favor.

For more information on the game, head over to the Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/TMNTOutOfTheShadows and be sure to stick to Nineoverten.com for more news on Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows.

The first Yodel-Oh! title came out in 2011 and it was a fun casual iOS title which borrowed quite a bit (in a good way) from carnival type shooting galleries. The game received a 4 out of 5 rating from us, check out the original review over here. Now, developers Spinlight Studio are back at it again with the brand new YodelOh Math Mountain which is now available on the iTunes App Store. This time, the game aims at mashing math problems with its super fun gameplay. From the press release:

Lace up your lederhosen and hit the hills in the fast-paced, target-tapping adventure that transforms traditional math tables into a mountain of fun. Based on the classic tin target carnival games of yesteryear, YodelOh™ Math Mountain centers on the adventures of Hans the Hiker, Greta the Swiss Miss and a heard of half-crazed mountain sheep determined to knock Hans off his heals. Solve the most addition, subtraction, multiplication and division problems before Hans takes a header off the cliff and you could be the next King of the Mountain!

The game is available at a special launch price of USD 0.99 on the iTunes App Store. Check it out over here: http://www.nineoverten.com/2011/08/26/yodel-oh-iphone-game-review-great-simple-stuff/

What a busy week it has been, with baby Natalia, work and marathon training taking up the bulk of my time. However, I did manage to sneak in some time to check out Aussie indie devs 3 Sprockets‘ latest game for the PC, Mac & Linux platforms, Cubemen 2. This brand new tower defense game looks really cool with its completely 3D visuals, it kinda reminded me of Darwinia, and that’s one game with a very strong visual identity.

In Cubemen 2, you are supposed to defend your base by placing your ever-mobile bunch of Cubemen around levels that look like they are built from stacks of, what else but cubes. There are different types of Cubemen available, ranging from the basic grunt called Grill to the mortar lobbing Moty. Each of them has a health bar which you’ll need to monitor (as they can take damage from enemy Cubemen) and each unit is upgradeable twice over.

While the graphics caught my eye the first time around, I was further impressed with the game’s versatility. Each time you start a level, you’ll face a plethora of choices, whether you want to go on the defensive, mount a rescue, capture the flag, or territorial gain, set the number of waves, enemies and a few other rule modifiers. The game supports both multi-player and single player modes, and comes with online leaderboards as well. Here’s a pro-tip: ditch the trackpad for a mouse…trust me on this.

As a plus, the game comes with the tools needed to build your own levels, and as a further nod to user-generated-content, these custom levels (and some of them look really really cool), are available for other players to load and play on. Now if I just can find the time to tinker with the built-in level editor to create my own maps.

I actually started playing the game right after 3 Sprockets decided to make the game IAP free, meaning that the numerous Cubemen skins and level themes that were previously available through IAP were made free. That was pretty nice of 3 Sprockets to do that and I’m glad to report that while in future new themes and skins will be made available either freely or through IAP, 3 Sprockets will not go down a pay to win or a pay to play route.

Cubemen 2 has proved to be a really impressive Tower Defense experience and is an excellent indie entry to Steam. Nineoverten.com rates Cubemen 2 at a 4.5 out of 5. Cubemen 2 is available on Steam for USD 7.99. Check it out over here: http://store.steampowered.com/app/228440/.

A review code was provided to Nineoverten.com for the purpose of this review. Review machine: Macbook Pro (Core i5 processor, HD 4000 graphics, and 8 GB of RAM).

The folks at indie development studio Sundae Factory have just launched their Steam Greenlight page for their up and coming platformer/puzzle game Ecotone (PC & Mac). Ecotone is a little platform game with an evolving gameplay allowing brainwork and/or skill phases. The game’s primary focus is to invite the gamer in a strange world, and it features a dreamlike and mysterious atmosphere.

This being a Steam Greenlight project, the game must receive votes from the gaming community before the game is made available on Steam. To get more details on Sundae Factory (basically to make an informed decision), you can head over to their brand new website: www.ecotonegame.com. There is a demo of the game available on that site as well.

Once you are done, be sure to check out their Steam Greenlight page over here: http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=139353742

Performance Design Products (PDP) have come up with a line of Apple accessories that simply scream “Only Comic Book Fans Apply!”. Their exclusive line of Iconic Marvel Comic Covers cases for the iPhone 5 are now available exclusively via Apple Stores worldwide. Among the vintage comic book covers that represent major milestones not only in Marvel’s but also comics history in general include Amazing Fantasy #15 (published August 10th, 1962), Avengers #1 (published September 10th, 1963), The Incredible Hulk #1 (published: May 10th 1962) and Giant Sized X-Men #1 (published January 1st 1975).

These snap-on, hard plastic cases provide full access to all ports and buttons on the iPhone 5 and each comes with a satin finish which maximises carrying comfort. Each of these cases are going for USD 34.95, check them out over here: http://store.apple.com/us/product/HB674VC/A/marvel-amazing-fantasy-15-clip-case-for-iphone-5?fnode=47&p=5#mfr-info

The fallout from Robin’s death continues in this week’s batch of Bat-comics, with Batman & Robin #19, showing just how nuts Bats can be. In this issue, Batman takes to Castle Frankenstein, along with some really creepy experiments of his own (dissection and brain matter anyone?), in his bull-headed attempt at resurrecting Damian Wayne. The cover of this issue features Carrie Kelley….yup…the Robin from Frank Miller’s The Dark Knight Returns, but this doesn’t mean she is a shoe-in for the role in the New 52. Let us see how things unfold, but in the meantime, this issue gets a 4 out of 5.

Barbara Gordon is down to two batarangs after the events in Death of a Family, but that doesn’t stop her from taking out her brother in Batgirl #19. This issue is pretty groundbreaking, not only with Barbara severing ties with her brother (and her father), but also in introducing a transgender character in the form of Barbara’s roommate. This issue is not short of action, with a big mallet, a pistol and plenty of punching and kicking filling in the void created by just 2 batarangs. 4.5 out of 5.

Injustice #13 explores Flash’s reaction, or should I say non-action to Superman and Wonder Woman’s method of dealing with unrest down under. The poor chap resorts to the one thing we mortals usually do whenever we are overcome by stress: going for a run. The Injustice mini-chapters are doing a pretty good job fleshing out the story for a mere videogame, and I wonder if the New 52 can adopt an edgier storyline like this for its mainstream characters. 4.5 out of 5.

In-conjunction with the release of the Android version of I Am Vegend, developer i-Free Innovations has slashed the price of the iPhone version down to zero for a limited time. I Am Vegend: Zombiegeddon is a mind-blowing parody of modern mobile gaming icons with original gameplay mashing the tower defense genre with the arcades of the 90’s.

Check out the iPhone version over here: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/id583111024. Android users can get their version of the game over here: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.iamvegend.gp

I love beach holidays, and having lived in seaside towns all my life, the beach is never far from my place of residence. This is probably why I really like the backdrop of Big Pixel Studios’ latest iOS title, Bottle Cap Blitz, which is a beautifully rendered tropical island beach.

Players take on the role of a beach barman who has too much free time on his hands (what can I say….. beach life can be pretty idyllic), and the objective of the game is to flick bottle caps to break as many number of ice cubes in under a minute. You only need one hand to play the game.

It’s that simple but one key inclusion by the development team has made this entire premise an addictive one: Game Center online leaderboards. This plus the really simple gameplay, makes it easy for players to turn on a competitive streak to climb up the charts. I know it got me hooked from the get-go and at the point of writing I’m number 80-ish in the global leaderboard.

Helping the player gain more points are combos and power ups such as frozen cherries and watermelons; these are unlocked (including the ability to chain combos) as you hit new levels. Coins earned during the course of the game can be used to unlock new bottle caps, which is pretty cool if you are an avid bottle cap sharpshooter (the game is bound to turn you into one).

Considering that I had to pry myself from playing the game in order to write this review, it’s safe to say that Bottle Cap Blitz is a case of a casual game done right, with easy to understand and addictive gameplay, competitive elements and a beautiful interface. Nineoverten.com rates Bottle Cap Blitz at a 4.5 out of 5. Highly Recommended.

The game is available on the iTunes App Store for just USD 0.99. Check it out over here: http://itunes.apple.com/app/id569448523. A review code was provided to Nineoverten.com for the purpose of this review.